


Protect

by 9haharharley1



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Pre-Slash, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-10
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-05-19 13:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5969242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/9haharharley1/pseuds/9haharharley1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Must protect the Corporal,' he thought frantically. Levi was losing the fight with his captor's jaws. 'Must protect.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protect

**Author's Note:**

> Moved from FF.net. Not beta'd.

The titans were gaining on them, coming up fast as the Corps raced through an abandoned neighborhood bordering along Wall Rose. Eren lay in his cart, watching with wide eyes as the titans came one after another. Mikasa kneeled protectively over him, blades drawn as she glared at the monsters. Annoyance welled up in the injured brunette, angry that, once again, Mikasa thought that he needed protection.

 

_I can take care of myself,_ Eren thought, sitting up with the smallest of groans. _It’s not like five years ago. Things are different now._

 

Around them, smoke rounds went off and Eren could just barely make out Commander Erwin’s voice shouting out orders.

 

“Eren! Get back down!” Mikasa shouted, pushing on his shoulder.

 

“I can help!” he growled back. Behind them, two men on horses were picked up by titans.

 

“No, we just need to outrun them!” said Mikasa. She shoved him down roughly by the shoulders. “Corporal’s orders!”

 

Eren’s eyes widened and before she could stop him, the brunette shoved his adopted sister away, crawling to the back of the cart to observe the proceedings. Corporal Levi shot his hooks out, deftly swinging up to the first titan and slashing through its neck, spraying blood. The hooks shot again, lodging in the other titan’s shoulder. He spun towards it, but to Eren’s horror, the monster raised an arm faster than Levi could predict and slapped him away. Levi grunted, flying back to roughly land on the grass. Eren could see him struggling to sit up, eyes squeezed tight as he reached blindly for his swords. Another titan, a 15-meter class, lumbered up and scooped the Corporal up in its large hands.

 

Visions of his mother’s untimely death flashed rapid fire through Eren’s mind and his eyes widened in horror as Humanity’s Strongest was brought kicking and struggling to the titan’s mouth and he lowered his gaze. Tears came unbidden to emerald eyes as the Corps continued their race to Wall Rose.

 

_No,_ he thought in horrified fascination. Levi valiantly kept the monster’s mouth open with one leg and both arms as it set him there. Behind Eren, Mikasa had one hand stretched out to him. “No!” he suddenly screamed. He tore a good chunk out of his hand with his teeth as he jumped out of the cart.

 

There was a flash of lightening and a crash of thunder as a monstrous titan emerged where Eren had landed. The Corps may want to continue on, but Eren could still provide a means to save the Corporal. An angry roar escaped from the Rogue titan and he shot off in a dead sprint towards Levi. He would not relive the horror he’d seen five years ago. He would not lose another loved one! He refused to go through that again!

 

_Must protect the Corporal!_ He thought frantically, knocking the titan who had swatted Levi out of his path. The monster was sent careening off the road. Levi was losing the fight against his captor’s jaws. _Must protect!_ He ran faster.

 

Levi was suddenly flung away as the titan who held him spit him out on reflex as its head snapped to the side. Levi rolled as he landed, glancing up to see Titan Eren wailing on the offending titan in unrestrained rage. Eren roared in its face, eyes flashing as one hand penetrated its neck. The titan fell in a curtain of blood and steam, landing face first on the ground. Eren roared down at it.

 

The shifter’s eyes landed on Levi and he grunted. He took heavy steps towards the Corporal, eyes locked onto those gray eyes. _I’m so sorry Corporal,_ Eren thought as he stepped up to the man. Levi stared up at him with his usual apathetic expression and readied his weapons. _It’s your turn to believe in me this time._

 

Levi took a single step back as Eren lowered one massive hand to the ground. “Stupid brat,” Levi muttered. Eren simply grumbled at him, laying the back of his hand flat against the ground, palm up. “So you’re not going to kill me, huh?” the Corporal continued, stepping up onto the palm. “I guess I can return the favor.”

 

The titan didn’t show it, but inside Eren was elated. _Thank you, Corporal._ Bringing his other hand up to hold the Corporal close, Eren turned around, jogging back to catch up with what remained of the Corps. Many had their heads turned, eyes wide with disbelief written all over their faces. The titan snorted with Eren’s amusement.

 

Cupped safely between large hands, Levi peered out at the group through the cracks in Eren’s fingers. “At least I can prove you’re not completely useless now,” he grumbled.

 

The Survey Corps stopped just outside the gate so Eren could catch up and change back. Scouts kept a lookout for anymore titans as Erwin signaled the Garrison to open the gate. Eren’s titan lay steaming where the human emerged, struggling to get his legs out of the fleshy prison. He gasped as a sword easily slashed though the tendons, as if it was simply butter. Levi was glaring down at him and Eren gulped.

 

“Shitty brat,” mumbled the Corporal. He hauled Eren to his feet, the boy protesting until the older man cuffed the back of his head. “You may have just proved my point, but don’t you ever do something so reckless again,” he ordered. Eren stared at him with wide eyes. “Humanity can’t afford to lose you.” Levi tossed him like a sack of potatoes into the cart with Mikasa, the raven-haired girl immediately fawning over Eren in her own neutral way, and walked off. The older man glanced over his shoulder with the barest hint of a smile towards the younger boy before it was gone and he continued on into Wall Rose.

 

Eren felt his cheeks heat up as Levi walked off. A fluttering started in the pit of his belly and he smiled slightly. He glanced up at the sky, remembering his dear, departed mother and her gentle smile. _Humanity might not be able to afford to lose me,_ he thought, _but I can’t afford to lose you, Corporal._

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this on napkin at the Waffle House a friend worked at.


End file.
